by Gia Riley
I try on five more dresses, all in different styles to get a feel for what I like and what I don’t. I’m ten dresses in when I start to think my dream dress might not be at this particular boutique. Thankfully everyone is being very patient with my struggle to commit to a gown. Nothing has spoken to me yet, I’ve gotten zero goose bumps, and I just feel average in everything I’ve tried on despite the stunning dresses I’ve put on my body.
Yvette has been busying herself with a delivery and has been pretty quiet since her initial stripping session. “Hallie, I’ve just gotten this one in from a new shipment. It’s fresh out of the packaging and you’d be the first to see it. I thought it would be a nice choice for your features.” I can only imagine what she has for me this time based on how wrong she had my style preferences from the start. Alex opens the door and I can immediately tell he doesn’t think it’s disgusting whether he knows anything about dresses or not.
“I’ll try it next. Thank you, Yvette.” Could it be possible she just redeemed herself? I guess she doesn’t run one of the most successful boutiques in town for nothing.
“Of course, dear,” Yvette replies warmly. Her voice reminds me a little bit of Mrs. Doubtfire and I’m cracking up at the thought of her having a whipped cream facial or leaning over the stove catching her boobs on fire. Let’s just hope she’s not chucking any lemons at my head if I leave here without a dress. Alex’s shaking his head trying hard not to laugh along with me. He knows exactly what I’m thinking and I’d bet a million bucks he agrees with me.
Climbing into this new ivory dress, I’m hopeful it works because I really like the lace detailing. My mom’s working on her third glass of champagne with Alex and I can tell by their laughter, they’re feeling the effects. Amie finishes zipping up my dress and closing the tiny hook and eye closures before I can finally get a glance at myself. My breathing is effortless in the dress and I realize maybe Yvette wasn’t trying to kill me after all.
“That is gorgeous on you!” Amie exclaims when she’s finally able to get a complete view of the dress.
I look at my reflection and for the first time, I feel it. It’s a simple A-line with a vintage lace bodice. The sweetheart neckline compliments by boobs nicely if I do say so myself. It’s the rosettes filling up the bottom half of the dress that get me excited. It feels lush, romantic and expensive. The dress must cost a fortune. Monique Lhuillier does not come cheap. I walk over to a different mirror for a better view of the back of the dress. Alex follows me over handing his champagne off to Amie.
“Alex, how much is this one?”
“You like it?” he asks with caution.
“I really do.”
“Then the price doesn’t matter. Whatever your mom can’t cover, I will.” My mom insisted on paying for as much of my dress as she could. I felt bad considering her and my dad already offered to pay for most of the reception. Sean’s parents are paying for some as well. It was our intention to cover our own costs, but they wanted us to save the money for Hope instead. We are very blessed.
“What?”
“You heard me, baby girl. If this is the one, then that settles it. Price be damned.”
I need to hear my mom’s thoughts before I make my final decision. Hopefully she loves it as much as I do.
“Hallie, it really is so amazing!” Amie says in a rush of emotion. I hope I can get that kind of response out of Sean when I walk down the aisle. Okay, maybe not that girlie, but it would be incredible to render him speechless.
My mom has no words other than a head shake signifying she loves it. She’s too busy digging around for a tissue to catch her falling tears. I glance over at Alex who is eyeing me adoringly. “Oh hell you guys. Now I’m going to cry.”
“Have you decided? Is this your dress?” Amie asks hopefully.
Without a shadow of a doubt I know this is my dress. “Yes it is.” A few stray tears fall down my cheeks as I say the words. This moment, standing here in the middle of a bridal store, feels surreal. Amie walks over with a vintage blusher. I wasn’t sure something like this would look right on me, but it’s the perfect complement to my dress. The headpiece is a simple white flower with a crystal center. There are a few delicate feather pieces tucked under the flower and the netting comes just over my eyes. When she places it on me, I’m sold. This is exactly the way I want to look on my wedding day.
Yvette chimes in causing my moment to come to an end. “Let’s go get your measurements.”
That’s one way to bring me back to reality. I take one last glance in the mirror, run my hands over the expensive fabric and smile. Holy hell, I’ve just found the dress I’m getting married in.
When I finally drag my tired ass home, the house is quiet, so I tip toe upstairs to the nursery in case both Sean and Hope are asleep. I lean against the frame of the door and take in Sean sitting in the rocking chair, cradling Hope’s small body. “Don’t cry, angel. Your mommy will be home soon. I know you’re hungry and want her ti-, boobs. Daddy doesn’t have those.” I can see Hope turning her head towards his chest searching for food. I cover my mouth with the back of my hand to stifle my laughter. I also didn’t miss the fact that he almost said tits. He’s been trying hard not to curse or use less than desirable language around her. I personally love when he gets all worked up about something and covers his tracks with a darn or crap. Makes me laugh every single time.
“You’re mommy is out buying a beautiful dress for our wedding. You’ll get one too someday, but not until your forty and Daddy buys a shotgun. Okay, princess? You look just like your mommy, you know that.”
I walk inside the room and sit down on the floor in front of the rocking chair. “How’s it going, Daddy.” I hold out my hands for him to hand me Hope. It’s been entirely too long since I’ve kissed her chubby little cheeks. She sees me and smiles with excitement in her eyes. “Did Daddy tell you all about dating and marriage already? No wonder you’ve been upset. That’s a lot to take in.”
“I guess you heard all of that?”
“I did. I could watch you two all day and never get bored.” He smiles and I have no doubt it will definitely take one hell of a guy to be good enough for his little lady someday. For now, we’ll concentrate on feeding and burping.
“Did you find a dress, babe?”
“Yeah, but that’s all your getting out of me. I want you to be surprised.”
“God, you’re going to be so damn beautiful.”
I blush at his sweet words, hoping I can live up to his expectations. My dress makes me feel like a bride, but it’s Sean that makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. He saved me when I was drowning and never once did he give up on me. Even when we were broken up, or so I thought, he never forgot our special connection. I kiss Hope’s head as I finish feeding her, raising my eyes to meet Sean’s. We’re able to speak entire sentences without having to utter a single syllable.
Five months later
TOMORROW MORNING, I’M GOING to become Mrs. Sean Thomas. Excitement, nerves and a raging headache have taken residence in my body. I feel like I’m hopped up on such an adrenaline high I’ll never come back down to Earth. I’ve gone over every one of my lists ten times to make sure I haven’t forgotten a single detail. Sean wanted me to hire a wedding planner to help take some of the stress of planning off my shoulders. He knows how organized I like to be so it wasn’t easy for me to agree to let go of the reins even a smidgen. As the wedding hours tick away, I’m thankful I won’t have to be worrying about setting up chairs or sorting through piles of flowers as I have a sneezing fit. My only concern is getting to the salon and the church on time.
Our parents are both in town for the event; the thought of my dad walking me down the aisle already has the tears forming. I took my first steps along his side as a toddler, and now, I take my final steps as a single woman next to him. My dad was my very first hero, and nobody will ever take that spot away from him; whether I’m married or not. He taught me how a real man treats a lady, to
be strong, and to stand up for what’s right. Leading by example, the way he raised me, is exactly how I want to raise my own children.
“Earth to Hallie.”
“Huh?” I look up, realizing I was staring off into space as I reflect on my upcoming nuptials.
“You okay? You’re not having second thoughts are you?” Alex asks.
“What? No. Not at all. Just getting a little nervous to be in front of so many people. You know I don’t like being the center of attention.” Our wedding isn’t huge, but we wanted to make sure to include all of our family and friends. I’m only taking this leap once in my lifetime, so I wanted to make sure to do perfectly. No regrets right?
“Okay. I’ll be back for dinner. You better go get your pre-wedding loving now while you can. There will be no funny business once he leaves tonight and I know you, Hallie. No exceptions! You wanted tradition, so I’m giving you exactly that.”
“You’re terrible. I don’t even know where Sean is. He said he had to run and do something. I hope he hurries before Hope wakes up. Her naps are getting shorter and shorter these days.” I can hardly believe she’s seven months old now. She’s still so small, but when I see her newborn pictures from the hospital, I realize how much she’s grown. I’d keep her small forever if I could.
“Speaking of the handsome, Devil.” Alex says in passing. “Have fun, kiddos.” Sean rolls his eyes and shakes his head at the insinuation of nakedness that’s about to come. Sean’s something must have been a haircut. He looks absolutely edible right now. I fall back into my daydreaming as I picture him in his black and white suit waiting for me to walk towards him. It wouldn’t surprise me if I’m drooling by the time I reach him at the altar. My man is seriously hot.
“Babe? You okay?”
Maybe it’s the fact that we won’t be sleeping in the same bed tonight, or the fact that he’s about to become my husband, but all I want to do is make love to him. I need to like I need my next breath. My breathing accelerates the closer he gets. I blink rapidly a few times; afraid to miss a second of his deliciousness. “Yes. I’m good,” I reply as I fidget on the couch cushion.
“Hallie, when you look at me like that, it never ends up sweet or innocent.”
“I’m okay with that, but how am I looking at you?”
“Like I’m dinner plus dessert and there won’t be any leftovers.”
I laugh when I hear him describe exactly how I’m thinking of him right now. “What’s wrong with that?” I ask. I part my legs when he gets close enough to stand in between them. I have to tilt my neck back to look into his eyes. From this angle, he’s towering over my sensitive body sending shivers down my spine. Nothing about this situation is funny anymore. He’s all man – and he’s all mine.
Sean puts his finger under my chin, coaxing me to stand up. Immediately, I wrap my arms around his waist, never breaking eye contact. “Hallie, do you have any idea how much I want you right now?”
I nod my head that I understand because I feel his desire pressing up against my body. Unwrapping my arms, I make him lean down far enough so I can wrap them around his neck instead. When I secure my grip, I jump up and straddle his waist with my legs. His groan in response turns me on even more.
“Hallie, we can’t-” I shush him with my mouth before he has a chance to say anything else. We most definitely can. His mouth devours mine but before I can take the kiss any farther, he’s pulling away from my lips. “Baby, we can’t do this.”
“Why not?” I’m looking at him like he’s lost his damn mind. There’s nothing he can say right now that would make me believe I can’t have him right this minute. He takes a deep breath and rests his forehead against mine. I’m waiting patiently for him to continue, but he obviously needs a minute to convince himself of his own reasoning. I squeal when he spins us around so he can take a seat on the couch with my body still wrapped around his own.
“We could do this right now, right here on the living room floor, but the next time I touch any part of your body, I want you to be my wife.” I wasn’t expecting that. At all. Before I can protest that we can do both, he silences me again. “I plan to worship every inch of your body. We’ve done things a little differently than most couples, but tonight, I want to wait. It might kill me or leave me with a raging case of blue balls, but I want to wait.”
Well shit. I unlatch myself from his body and curl up on the couch. Momentarily I think about how much I want to call his bluff and attack him anyway, but he seriously wants to wait. On one hand it’s incredibly romantic that he would even consider it. It does make our wedding night anticipation that much more exciting, but what about right now! Closing my eyes, I rest my head against the back of the couch and sigh. Sean reaches over and rubs my hand, trying to interlace our fingers, but I pull my hand from his grasp. There’s no way he can touch me right now no matter how innocent the intention may be. For the first time in my life, I’m contemplating the benefits of a cold shower. It works for guys, right?
“Babe, don’t be mad. I can’t leave here tonight knowing your upset with me,” he says. His voice is low and deep causing my body to feel frustrated all over again. I open only my right eye while squinting the left one shut. I can’t handle a full view of him right now. He’s looking at me with his head cocked to the side trying to figure out what I could possibly be doing.
“You should leave,” I say with my one eyeball that’s trying not to check him out with that sinfully fresh haircut.
“Hallie, really? Please don’t be upset with me.”
“I’m not mad, Sean. While your romance has poor timing, you’re right.”
“Then why won’t you look at me or hold my hand. And why do I have to leave?”
“Because I’m going to test out the cold shower theory and if you linger around this house longer than necessary I can’t stick to your wishes.”
He laughs at me and peels my left eye open. “There’s my crazy beautiful girl.”
Nope. Can’t do it. I snap both eyes shut and stand up. When I almost walk into the wall, I yell over my shoulder that I’ll see him tomorrow. I’m only two steps farther before I’m flying through the air. “Sean! Put me down!” He’s running full speed down the hallway towards the bedroom. He launches me on top of the covers and before I have a chance to do or say a word, he’s on top of me kissing me senseless. Maybe he changed his mind.
He’s tickling me so hard I can’t stop laughing. My sides hurt and I beg him to stop. When he finally takes mercy on me, he rests his weight on his forearms while staring at me. “God, I’m so fucking lucky,” he says looking directly into my eyes. “Baby, I’m gonna love you so damn much tomorrow you’ll be thankful I gave you tonight off.” I swallow the large lump in my throat as I am filled with excitment from his promise. He leans in for one last kiss. “I love you. See you tomorrow, beautiful.”
“Love you too.” I should tell him something sweet or sexy in return, but he’s rendered me speechless. He stops in Hope’s room to kiss her goodbye. It’s killing him to leave her for the night. They usually get pretty silly during bath time and he reads her at least two books before bedtime. Let’s hope she’s happy to see Uncle Alex so she forgets her Daddy isn’t home.
When I hear the front door close, I look out the window to make sure he’s really going. He’s just about to get inside his truck when I knock frantically on the window to get his attention. I watch him turn around and look up at me. He shields his eyes from the blinding sun. It takes some muscle power for me to get the window up. I start to speak but realize he can’t hear me. I clear my throat and try again — he’s waiting patiently below. My emotions get the best of me, holding my words captive inside my scratchy throat. I blow him a kiss and watch him catch it with an adorable smile. I pray it’s always this effortless between the two of us. I’m getting freakin married tomorrow!
“I didn’t think he would ever leave.”
I jump and bump my head on the window, feeling like I was just caught doing somet
hing I shouldn’t be. “Alex! I thought you went home.”
“I did. You two were taking forever to finish so I waited around the corner until I saw him get to his truck. There was no way I wanted to walk in on any naked asses in the air. That’s not the kind of thing you recover from quickly enough to be able to watch them get married the following day.” He pats the bed a few times, obviously checking for my handcuffs, before he belly flops on top of the sheets. Realization hits him and he stands back up. “Do we need to go wash those before I climb in this bed tonight?”
“No, wise ass.”
“You get creative elsewhere?”
“No. We just kissed and talked.”
“Seriously?” he asks, not quite believing I’m telling him the truth.
“Seriously,” I deadpan. “He wanted to wait until I was his wife.”
Alex is smiling. “Just think how hot tomorrow night will be. What should we do for your last night as a single chick?” I can only laugh because he’s definitely right and as for my last night of freedom, well it doesn’t seem that way. I’ve lived with Sean for months and we have a child. My heart has been off the market for a very long time. I’m still good with celebrating though.
“My vote is for pizza, a horror movie, and some wine,” Alex says. He knows I despise horror movies, but watching one would keep my mind off my impending nuptials. I’d rather my nerves be focused on a movie instead of possibly tripping down the aisle tomorrow.
“Okay, just this once. I’m in.”
“That’s my girl!”
We order pizza with roasted tomatoes on top, my absolute favorite. Hope is in a silly mood and loving time with her Uncle Alex. She’s laughing so hard as he’s feeding her, there’s pureed sweet potatoes all over the wall, floor and table.